riots at reading?!?! really?

[stevel kenevel]

this was my first reading, and i absolutely loved it! the only time i saw any sort of vandalism or violence was when a man started kicking my tent (whilst i was outside of it) screaming "RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE ARE LIARS!" to which i laughed and told him to piss off... apart from that... nothing... i saw a couple of fires but nothing serious?!?!? i hope 2009 people come back because the people i met there were fantastic. grated i was camed in brown, but the only disagreement i had was when a security guard wouldnt let me in brown because all the cars got set on fire but he was letting other people in?!

please come back next year peeps,

i wasnt there for a long time, i was there for a good time,

i hope they didnt spoil it for you.

S-K

[rockgeek]

Yellow camp, late on Friday night experienced a lot of trouble but yeah, riots were present (if you were to use dictionary definition of a riot)

[Mark E. Spliff]

Personally, I don't think Sunday night at Reading, either this year or last, could be accurately described as a riot.

What you have is a bunch of drunken wags marching round making up silly chants and setting light to things. Yes, it must be a real pain if you're camped in the middle of it, but no, there's no feeling of anger/hatred/rebellion there. This year, I walked around and found it a bit boring - loads of people were going through the same routine as the year before - same chants, same places to congregate, same 'whacky' mock battles, e.g. storming 'the hill.'

I'm really glad I wasn't camped amongst it, but all the same, it's just a big, old, tired pantomime. If you look at the videos on YouTube, it may look scary, but then so would a lively bonfire night party. I've been caught up in two 'genuine' riots in London and there is no comparison: in a riot, the crowd has a focus for their anger - typically a police cordon blocking off a march route - and they use brute force to attack it. At Reading, the crowds just wander around looking for stuff to do. If anyone starts getting really angry/aggressive/weird, the crowds do the English thing and pretend not to notice and wander away.

Edited September 22, 2008 by Mark E. Spliff

[rockgeek]

# a public act of violence by an unruly mob

# rioting: a state of disorder involving group violence

[Ravislayer]

let me see......

last year...

yellow camp was pocketed all over with large fires, some of which were 20ft across... peoples possessions were being thrown on against their will.

purple camp im told was pretty much the same.

orange camp - the 8 ft metal wall by the silent disco was pushed over into the campsite on top of tents with people in them

this year...

yellow camp was pocketed all over with large fires, some of which were 20ft across... peoples possessions were being thrown on against their will.

purple camp was pocketed all over with large fires, toilet blocks smashed, telegraph poles ripped down for use as battering rams.

orange camp total destruction around the paths closer to purple and yellow camps, every tent by the roadside torched, toilet blocks smashed, telegraph poles ripped down for use as battering rams

it was still there mate ur just more used to it now. i wish it wasnt, but its just getting worse.

[goodoldfashionedmosher]

reading has definitely got worse, i think security should have more power.

if you're not looking for trouble and aren't being a general, intimidating w*nker, then you shouldn't have a problem with power-crazed security men. i know which one i'd rather have - tough security - not people who throw fireworks about - my mate got hit in the leg by a firework and had to go to hospital. been to reading every year but one since 95, so i'm not gonna let the little runts stop me from going in future!

[thingy28123]

All we need is for the security to be competent at their job and for them to have more power to deal with troublemakers

simple as that

[Ravislayer]

They have all the power they need, they can get people off site and keep them off. The trouble is on the last night it is now the trendy thing to do to behave like an idiot. The security dont have a chance against such vast numbers.

What we need is a change of culture, not a change of security staff. Its one of the many reasons why 2008 was my last Reading Festival.

[dakyras]

All we need is for the security to be competent at their job and for them to have more power to deal with troublemakers

[breadmanjiro]

Are there any campsites there that have a reputation for ya know, not getting burnt to the ground come sunday night ?

[Ravislayer]

Are there any campsites there that have a reputation for ya know, not getting burnt to the ground come sunday night ?

[biffoire]

They have all the power they need, they can get people off site and keep them off. The trouble is on the last night it is now the trendy thing to do to behave like an idiot. The security dont have a chance against such vast numbers.

What we need is a change of culture, not a change of security staff. Its one of the many reasons why 2008 was my last Reading Festival.